Snowchino Has Winning Feeling
11 August, 2018
Thoroughbred
In-form filly Snowchino has made it back-to-back wins at Belmont Park this afternoon, taking out the Happy Birthday Jacquie Young Plate (1400m).
After breaking through for her maiden win at Northam on August 2, Snowchino was kept relatively safe in the TABtouch market, which was headed up by Rebel Knight and Kiss The Breeze.
Jockey Jason Whiting, who rode the filly to her last start win, wasted no time looking to find the front from the inside barrier, while Lookout settled second.
Rebel Knight had a comfortable trip behind the leaders, while second favourite Kiss The Breeze was forced to go back to last from her wide gate.
Snowchino was never in any danger of being caught in the home straight, going on to win by one and three-quarter lengths to Lookout, while stablemate Hotham Valley came home strongly from the back of the field to run third.
Kiss The Breeze also worked home well to finish fourth, while favourite Rebel Knight could only managed a fifth place finish.
Meanwhile, co-trainer Grant Williams wasn’t getting carried away by the win of Red Army in the TABtouch Handicap (2000m).
Red Army was supported into $1.28 favourite with TABtouch, after his stablemate State Prosecutor had to be scratched from the race due a foot abscess.
Meeting a similar field to what he did last start on July 28, Red Army was made to work significantly harder for the win today.
The Cruel Sea set a solid tempo throughout the first half of the race, while Red Army settled with just one runner behind him.
Red Army then let down well for Glenn Smith to take the lead 200m from home, as the Adam Durrant-trained At The Ready had the last shot at the favourite.
However, the post came too quickly for a brave At The Ready, as Red Army recorded his sixth win from 11 starts.
Williams said he wasn’t overly pleased at the five-year-old’s win and indicated the best was still to come.
“It was a small field and a tricky race, but he did what he had to do,” he said.
“I thought that was probably just a win.
“It looks like he might go better with something to chase.
“Hopefully he’s a Cups horse, but we don’t know yet, in all fairness he isn’t racing in the best company.”
In the opening event of the day, it was another front runner that saluted in the form of the Lindsey Smith-trained Strip The Moon.
Ridden by Mitchell Pateman, Strip The Moon was too slick for his rivals in the Bernard Couch Memorial Maiden. (1000m).
Tim Walker